The health benefits omega 3 provides are becoming increasingly known, even in the West. We all have birthdays every year whether we wish to acknowledge them or not. We can not fight the calendar but we can do something about what it does to us. This article will cover some well known ground and get you up to date on some of the more recent exciting research.

The health benefits omega 3 offers starts with the membrane of every cell in our body. They maintain the structure and fluidity of the cell membrane making sure nutrients enter the cell and waste products are removed.

As your body can not make these fatty acids, it has to constantly replenish them from food - hence the label: "essential fatty acids."

What happens if there is a deficiency?

The 1929 Burr study probably opened the door in this area. They found that rats fed a fat free diet failed to grow, lost weight, developed scaly skin, had kidney damage and died prematurely. Adding the right fats to their diet reversed the process. At that time they could not associate any health benefits omega 3 had with the study because they did not know of their existence.

Since then there have been too many studies to count but here are a few from 2010:

• Supplements of omega-3 fatty acids may improve the kidney health of diabetics, according to results of a double-blind placebo-controlled trial - Hong Kong.
• Increased levels of omega-3 fatty acid DHA may decrease the risk of dental diseases - Japan.
• DHA-related brain and eye health claims for infants have been backed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), after it issued advice this month at the request of the European Commission. It said: "DHA intake can contribute to normal brain development of the fetus, infant and young children." and "DHA intake can contribute to normal development of the eye of the fetus, infant and young children."

All this research is just expanding what we already know about the health benefits omega 3 offers.

What about anti-aging?

Dr. Farzaneh-Far from the University of California San Francisco was just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. This particular study found that high blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids may slow cellular ageing in people with coronary heart disease.

''We've shown an entirely new effect of omega-3 fatty acids, which may be to slow down the biological aging process in patients with coronary heart disease." said Dr. Farzaneh-Far.

I had to read Dr. Farzaneh-Far's statement again. Although this study was on hearts, the DNA sequences they studied belong to chromosomes throughout the body. It will not be long before similar research expands these anti-aging health benefits omega 3 offers to apply to other areas beside the cardiovascular system.

One last point. The amount of these essential fats that we need can only realistically achieved, at least for most of us, by supplement. For more information please visit my website.